Kindergarten apparatus for teaching spelling



(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1. T. DOUGH'ERTY.

KINDERGARTEN APPARATUS FOR TEAGHING SPELLING.

Patented May 25, 1886.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet-2.

T.DO UGHERTY.

KINDERGARTEN APPARATUS FOR TEACHING SPELLING. No. 342,737. I PatentedMay 25, 1886.

lie/Vania? iferzkwflouy efly UNITED STATES PATENT TIBERIAS DOUG-HERTY,OF PHILADELPHIA, ASSIGNOR OF TlVO-THIRDS TO HOVARD BODEY, OFNORRTSTOXVN, PENNSYLVANlA.

KINDERGARTENAPPARATUS FOR TEACHING SPELLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 342,737, dated May 25,1886.

Application filed September 14, 1585. Serial No. 177.066. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, TIBERIAS DOUGHERTY, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements inKindergarten Teaching Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to an improved appa- IO ratus forkindergarten orprimary school-work in teaching the alphabet and its uses in spelling.This is readily accomplished in a simple and attractive manner by theemployment of a box or cabinet inclosing a pair of rollers car I 5 ryinga band or strip of paper or other ma-v terial, having a series ofpictures delineated thereon and arranged to be successively displayed atan opening in the face of the cabinet. Each picture may represent somewell-known 2o object, and should have its name attached in conspicuousletters. In another part of the cabinet-face, preferably below theopening at which the picture is displayed, are arranged other openings,one for the exhibition of each 2 5 letter required to spell the word orname attached to the picture. At the back of these latter openings aremounted a series of alphabetical disks, so arranged as to be capable ofrotation to bring the required letter opposite the proper opening in thecabinet.

According to my invention, one of the picture-carrying rollers isprovided with a winding-stem for the attachment of akey or wrench, bywhich said roller can be rotated, so as to 3 5 wind the picture-stri pthereon. The other end of the picture-strip is attached to a rollerhaving a spring, which is wound up by the rotation of its connectedroller when the picture-strip is unwound therefrom and wound upon theother roller. The key-winding roller is provided at one end with anotch, and is normally held at rest or prevented from r0- tating by theengagement with said notch of a hooked rod having a spring or weightattached thereto, said rod being connected to a releasing-lever orfinger-key, which projects from the cabinet. By pressing this key orlever the hooked rod will be disengaged from the roller with which itconnects, thereby releasing the same, and both rollers will revolveautomatically under the tension of the wound spring attached to one ofsaid rollers. The picture-rollers will continue to revolve as long aspressure is maintained on their releasinglever or until thespring isunwound, which 5 occurs when all or nearly all the pictures havebeentransferred to the spring-roller. \Vhen the desired picture comesopposite the 'exhibit-opening,t-he rotation of the rollers will bearrested by relaxing pressure on their releasing-lever or key, thusallowing the hooked rod to engage one of said rollers under the actionof a spring or weight and so hold the rollers at rest. The alphabeticaldisks are loosely mounted on a common fixed shaft,and '65 are norm. llyheld at rest by means of springs attached to said shaft and engaging thesides of the respective disks. These alphabetical disks are actuated byfinger-keys that project at the front of the cabinet, and carry at theirrear ends pawls adapted to engage ratchetteeth on the disks, said pawlsbeing normally held at rest by a weight or spring. On pressing theappropriate finger-key its attached pawl will be brought forcibly incontact with a ratchet-tooth on the adjacent disk, and thus rotate it adistance corresponding to the space occupied by one of the letters onits periphery, continued rotation of the disk being effected byimparting repeated impulses to the key until the desired letter appearsopposite its proper opening in the face of the cabinet. By attentivelyobserving the form of each lettcr attached to the picture, and thenmanipulating the corresponding]y-loeated keys from 8 5 left to rightuntil the required letters are displayed by the respective alphabeticaldisks, the name of the picture or object can be readily spelled, even bya young child, a useful exercise being meanwhile afforded in thecomparison of letters having a somewhat similar form. This principle ofoperation can also be applied in the formation, letter by letter, ofseveral words constituting a sentence by simply providiug a sufficientnumber of alpha 5 betical disks and actuating-keys.

Heretofore in an apparatus for teaching spelling the alphabetical disksor wheels havebeen mounted on a rotary shaftin such a manner as to beeapable'of rotating therewith,and IOO yet allow any or all of said disksto be heldstationary without resisting the rotation of their shaft, towhich motion is communicated by means of cogged gearing from acrank-shaft that actuates the picture-carrying rollers. In the apparatushere referred to pivoted keys or levers are employed to control therotation of the several alphabetical disks, and hold them stationarywhen the proper letters are exhibited, each key or lever being providedwith a catch for engaging one of a series of pins projecting fromtheside of each disk. By depress ing any or all of said keys therespective disks will be released and allowed to rotate with themovement of the crank and intermediate gearing. \Vith such mechanism itis necessary to provide a means of throwing the picture-rollers out ofgear with the crank-shaft, while said shaft is occupied in rotating thealphabetical disks. This necessity is obviated by my invention, whichcontemplates an essentially different and uncomplicated arrangement ofparts in which the picture-rollers are automatically actuated bymechanism entirely distinct from the keys or levers that move thealphabetical disks. I thus dispense with a crank-shaft and gearing,mount the alphabetical disks on a fixed shaft,instead of a rotaryone,and employ keys to actuate each alphabetical diskindependently'through pawl-and-ratchet connections, instead of providingsuch keys with catches to arrest the movement of said disks.

My invention is clearly illustrated in the annexed drawings,in whichFigure 1 is a front elevation of a kindergarten alphabetical apparatusembodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the samefrom front to rear. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation from side to side;and Fig. 4 is a front elevation of an apparatus enlarged, to adapt it tothe formation of sentences, and having a blackboard face above theletter-openings.

Referring to these drawings, the numeral 1 designates a case or cabinetof convenient size and form. In the upper part of this cabinet isarranged a hollow roller, 2, loosely mounted upon a fixed horizontalshaft, 3, that is supported in the sides of the case. This hollow roller2 incloses a spirally-coiled spring. 4,oue' end of which is secured tothe roller and the other end to its fixed shaft. At a suitable dis tancebelow the spring-roller, and journaled in the sides of the case orcabinet, is a roller, 5, having at one end a key-winding stem, 6, thatprojects at one side of the cabinet. In the opposite end of the roller5, or at other convenient point therein, is formed a notch, 7,forengaging the upper hooked end, 8, of a vertical rod, 9, that issupported in a guide-loop, 10, within the cabinet or box. This hookedrod has attached to its lower end aspring,11, or a weight, if preferred,to hold its upper hooked end into engagement with the notched roller. Tothe lower end of the hooked rod 9 is connected the inner or rear end ofa key or lever, 12, that is pivoted in an opening in the 3 lower frontpart of the cabinet.

A strip or band, 13, of paper or other suitable material, is secured ateither end to one of the rollers 2 and 5, so as to be wound from one tothe other, small guide-rollers 14 being suitably arranged in such amanner as to stretch said band or strip smoothlyin front of an opening.15. in the cabinet-face. On this band or strip 13 are delineated aseries of pictures, each of which has its name or some appropriate wordor sentence prominently attached, as shown in Fig. 1.

By depressing the finger key or lever 12 the hooked rod 9 will becarried forward sufficiently to disengage it from the notch 7 in thelower roller, 5, and said roller can now be turned by means of a key orwrench applied to its stem 6, so as to wind the greater part of thepieture-band 13 on said lower roller, leaving one picture displayed atthe opening 15 in the cabinet-face. The act of winding the picture-bandupon the roller 5 and the consequent rotation of the hollow roller 2results in wind ing the spring 4 inelosed therein. After thepicture-band has been wound upon the roller 5 the key 12 will bereleased, thus causing the hooked rod 9 to again engage the notch 7 insaid rollerand thereby hold it stationary. The

pictures are now ready for exhibition in their proper order, and can bedisplayed successivel y by simply depressing the key 12, therebyreleasing the roller 5 and permitting both rollers to rotate under thetension of the spring 4, thus automatically bringing the pictures toview. As each picture comes opposite the opening 15 the key 12 will berelieved of pressure, the hooked rod 9 will engage the notch 7, and themovements of the rollers and picture-band will be arrested.

In the front of the cabinet-case, and prefcrably below thepicture-opening 15, is a series of openings, 16, for displaying theletters of the alphabet in such a way as to form, letter by letter, thename, word, or sentence appropriate to the picture exhibited. At therear of the openings 16 is a fixed shaft, 17, on which are looselymounted a series of alphabetical disks, 18, corresponding to the numberof letter-openings in the face of the cabinet. The periphery of eachdisk 18 is provided with the letters of the alphabet arranged in regularorder, and when the apparatus is designed to display several words in asentence. each disk will also be provided on the periphery with a blankspace that, when registered with one of the letter-openings, will serveto separate the words in such sentence.

In the drawings, Figs. 1 and 3, the apparatus is shown with only threedisks and corresponding letter-openings for displaying short words, oneat a time, and therefore the disks do not need a blank space. The diskswill,

however, have such blank spaces when the apparatus is enlarged, as shownin Fig. 4, to adapt it to the formation of longer words, phrases, andsentences.

Each disk 18 is provided on one side with radial indentations orcorrugations 19, for engagement with. the free end of a leaf-spring, 20,the opposite end of which is secured to the shaft 17, on which saiddisks are mounted, the several disks being thus held from acciden-talrotation. The disks 18 are preferably open on one side, as shown in Fig.3, to afford a space for the spring 20 of the adjacent disk, and thusenable the several disks to be arranged in proper proximity. The closedside or web of each disk is formed with a hub, 21, and the shaft 17 hasfixed collars 22, against which said hub rests, the disks being thusheld from lateral movement by the springs 20 on one side and the collars22 on the other.

On the outer side of each disk 18, beyond the outer ends of the radialindentations 19, is formed an annular series of ratchetteeth, 23, forthe engagement of a pushing-pawl, 24, that is attached to the inner endof a key or lever, 25, pivoted in the front lower part of the cabinet.To the lower end of 24 is attached a weight, 26, or a spring, by whichthe pawl is normally held in a perpendicular position without acting onthe ratchetteeth 23, though in contact therewith; but by depressing theouter ends of the keys or levers 25, the power of the respective weightsor springs will be overcome and the pawls 24 will be forced up againstthe ratchet-teeth 23, thus rotating each disk a distance equivalent tothe space occupied by one of the letters on its periphery. By thusgiving repeated impulses to citherone of the fingerkeys or levers 25 itscorresponding disk, 18, will be rotated letter by letter, until therequired alphabetical character is brought opposite one of the openings16 in the cabinet-front.

It will be understood that each key 25 is provided with a pawl, 24, foracting on the ratchetteeth 23 of the corresponding disk. This pawl 24 ispreferably attached to the key by a pivot, as shown in Fig. 2, and hasits lower end extended below the key and connected to the weight 26 orto a spring, said weight or spring serving to hold the pawl in anormally perpendicular position. The pawl is thus adapted to impingedirectlyagainst the ratchet-teeth and thereby impart a positive movementto the disk under the action of the key, the weight or spring causingthe .pawl to resume its proper position after eachstroke. The powerexerted by the key 25 and pawl 24 is sufficient to overcome the pressureof the spring 20,that is engaged in one of the radial indentations 19;but after the disk has rotated the space of one letter the springimmediately engages the next radial indentation and prevents furtherrotation of the disk by arresting its momentum.

In employing this apparatus for teaching the alphabet, spelling, wordbuilding, and formation of sentences, the picture exhibited at theopening 15 is designed to excite the interest and hold the attention ofthe pupil. The word, name, or picture serves as a copy to be imitated indiseach pawl,-

sentence attached to the playing similar letters or characters atthelower openings in the cabinet.

The apparatus having been wound up or set for operation by means of akey applied to the winding-stem 6, it is only necessary to touch thefinger key or lever 12 in order to produce any desired picture orreplace it by another. The name attached to this picture will now beobserved and the key-lever 25 at the extreme left of the apparatustouched repeatedly until the first letter of the word is exhibitedopposite its appropriate opening, the other required letters beingobtained in like manner by repeated touches, if necessary, on the secondand third keys consecutively, and so on according to the number ofletters in the word. After one word in a sentence has been spelled inthis manner the next key 25 will be vibrated until a blank space appearsopposite the corresponding opening 16, thus furnishing the requiredspace between words. \Vhile operating the machine in this manner a pausecan be made as each letter appears, and the pupils attention directed toits points of similarity or difference as compared with the copy or wordattached to the picture. Thus, as shown in Fig. 1, the picturerepresents a dog, and has the word DOG displayed in prominentcharacters. The several disks have been rotated sufficient] y to displaythe several letters D O E, and a pause is made while the letter E at thelower opening is compared with theletter G in the copy, after which thethird key will be vibrated until the letter G appears at the third loweropening, and thus completes the word in accordance with the copy. Manyother useful applications of the apparatus will readily suggestthemselves to a teacher.

If desired, the picture-exhibiting devices may be omitted or replaced bya blackboard, 27, as shown in Fig. 4-, or the cabinet may be providedwith means-for suspending a blackboard or a map or a screen in front ofits upper portion when it is not desired to use the pictures.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is 1. In a kindergarten teachingapparatus, the combination of a casing having openings in its face forthe display of pictures, letters, or other characters, a spring-rollerand a keywinding roller mounted in said casing, a band or strip wound onsaid rollers and bearing a series of pictures or characters, a series ofretary disks mounted in the casing, said disks being provided withratchet-teeth and bearing on the periphery a series of alphabeticalcharacters, pivoted keys or levers having pawls for engaging saidratcheted disks, and a key or lever having a hooked rod for engaging thekey-winding roller, whereby the picture of an object can be displayedand its name spelled by manipulating said keys, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a kindergarten teaching apparatus, the combination of a cabinet orcasing having an opening in its face, a spring-roller, and a l notchedkey-winding roller mounted in said casing, a picture-exhibitingband'attached tosaid rollers and adapted to be wound from one to theother, a pivoted lever or key, 'a rod attached to said key, and having ahooked end adapted to engage a notch in the key-winding roller, andmeans for holding said rod and roller in engagement until released bydepressing the key, whereby the picture-band isallowed to move under theaction of the spring-roller, substantially as described.

3. In a kindergarten teaching apparatus, the combination of a cabinet orcasing having openings in its face, a series of rotary disks mounted insaid casing on a fixed shaft, and provided with ratchetteeth and radialindentations, springs attached to said shaft and engaging said radialindentations, and a series of keys or levers pivoted in the casing andprovided with pawls for actuating said rat-ch eted disks, substantiallyas described.

4. In a kindergarten teaching apparatus,

the combination'of' the spring-roller 2, the key-winding roller 5, theband 13, wound on said rollers, the pivoted lever or key 12, and the rod9, attached to said key and adapted to normally engage thewinding-roller and be disengaged therefrom by the pivoted lever or key,substantially as described.

5. In a kindergarten teaching apparatus, the combination of 'a cabinetor casing having a series of openings, 16, the fixed shaft 17,

having springs 20 and collars 22, the rotary alphabetical disks 18,mounted on said shaft at the rear of the openings in the ease and havingradial indentations 19, hubs 21, and ratchet-teeth 23, and the pivotedkeys or levers 25, having pawls 24, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

TIBERIAS DOUGHERTY. Vitnesses:

JAMES L. NoRRIs, J. A. RUTHERFORD.

